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Struff withstands Shapovalov’s ace barrage, books Germany's Davis Cup SF spot

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

A pair of crucial tie-break sets bookended a dramatic quarter-final tie on Wednesday at the Davis Cup Final 8, where Germany moved past Canada 2-0 in Malaga.

Jan-Lennard Struff overcame Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) to earn the winning point for Germany, which reached its first Davis Cup semi-final since 2021. The No. 43 in the PIF ATP Rankings Struff prevailed in a two-hour, seven-minute battle despite Canada’s Shapovalov firing 27 aces.

Earlier, Daniel Altmaier edged Gabriel Diallo in a 75-minute opening set en route to a 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph.

“Denis was playing amazing, coming out firing,” said Struff, who had served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. “It was a very tough match. He was serving so well. It was incredible. Second serves at like 180 km/h. It was tough to return. The court is very fast.

“I had my chance [in the third set]. I broke him and served for the match. I didn’t play the best game, but he was there and hit some winners. Even in the tie-break, I went up 4/3 and he then he hit a forehand winner. An incredible match… I’m just happy to get over the line at the end.”

Germany faces a big European derby in its semi-final on Friday, when it will take on the Netherlands.

“It will be amazing,” said Struff of the Netherlands tie. “It’s a big step for us to go from the quarters to the semis. For sure we want to win and go to the final now. Netherlands played an amazing match yesterday beating Spain here in front of a home crowd. So we expect a very tough opponent. Germany and the Netherlands is a little bit of a rivalry. We will try everything. They have amazing fans as well, so looking forward to the match on Friday.”

Captain Michael Kohlmann was delighted as his team moved one step further forward in its bid for its fourth Davis Cup crown, and its first since 1993.

“I think if Daniel had lost that first set of the day, the tie was a completely different one,” reflected Kohlmann on Altmaier’s opening win. “Daniel was up a break, lost his serve again straightaway and had so many chances in the set, but couldn’t convert. I think to win it in the end was key for that match.”

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The off-court Nadal: his foundation and much more

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Being a great athlete goes far beyond the results achieved in competition.

Rafael Nadal understood this from the beginning. He involved himself in numerous social projects and created the Rafa Nadal Foundation in 2010, a platform that has enabled him to use sport as a source of aid, helping children and young people towards a quality future.

“I’ve always believed that for personal and professional development, opportunities are essential,” explained Nadal in a report from the foundation published on its 10th anniversary. “In 2010, we understood that I was in a position in which I could help create them, and that was when we decided to launch this life project. I honestly never imagined that we would be able to create the organisation that the Rafa Nadal Foundation is today.”

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Throughout all these years, the Rafa Nadal Foundation has provided for countless children, establishing a wide range of programmes such as the NETS project (Nadal Educational Tennis School) in India, the ‘More Than Tennis’ meetings (where athletes with intellectual disabilities get together from schools all across Spain), the Olazabal and Nadal golf tournaments, the opening of foundation centres in Palma, Valencia and Madrid, charity races, and countless other initiatives.

Today, the foundation has several active projects such as ‘Play All’, which directly benefits socially vulnerable children and teenagers and seeks to provide access to tennis for those for whom it is difficult to participate in the sport.

‘Study&Play’ is another of the current projects. It endeavours to offer young people who play a sport regularly and with dedication the opportunity to combine practice and competition with their education, by accessing scholarships granted by US universities.

Rafael Nadal established the Rafa Nadal Foundation in 2010.

Photo Credit: Rafa Nadal Foundation

As well as the work carried out through his foundation, Nadal has never hesitated to roll up his sleeves and collaborate in various causes over the years.

For example, the Spaniard participated in the ‘Match for Africa’, an exhibition he played with Roger Federer on 21 December, 2010. First, the Spaniard and Swiss faced each other in the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, in an event to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports education, transport and food for children in Africa.

The following day, Nadal and Federer played again in the Caja Mágica in Madrid. This time the money raised went to the Rafa Nadal Foundation.

In 2020, Nadal and Federer participated in the sixth edition of ‘Match for Africa’. It took place on 7 February in Cape Town, South Africa, the country of birth of Federer’s mother and the focal point of his charity foundation. Before facing each other in singles, Nadal and Federer joined Trevor Noah (presenter of ‘The Daily Show’) and Bill Gates in a doubles match. The event drew a crowd of 51,954, raising 3.5 million dollars for children’s education in Africa.

Rafael Nadal and Trevor Noah at the sixth edition of ‘Match for Africa’ in February 2020.

Photo Credit: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images

In 2018, during the floods in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, which caused 13 deaths and damaged almost 300 buildings in Mallorca, Nadal immediately got to work, grabbing a broom and helping evacuate the water alongside the other residents, helping the local population. He also donated one million euros to the victims.

Nadal was also actively involved during the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish tennis player joined forces with basketball player Pau Gasol and the Red Cross to raise 11 million euros for people affected by the pandemic, buying medical materials, building infrastructure and contributing to the most vulnerable families.

Simply put, the legacy the Spaniard leaves in his wake as he retires from the game transcends that of his titles and sporting success.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.

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Rafael Nadal's untouchable records

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Nadal’s first ATP Tour win against Ramon Delgado on the clay of his native Mallorca at the age of 15 was the first step in a legendary career that stretched across more than twenty years. The Spaniard has left in his wake an inordinate number of records that future generations will find hugely difficult to break.

ATPTour.com takes a look at the most significant stats of the Manacor native’s 22-season career.

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14 titles at one Grand Slam
Nadal’s Roland Garros record is probably the most spectacular of his career. After winning his first ‘Musketeer’s Trophy’ on his first appearance at the season’s second major in 2005, he went on to claim a total of 14 titles (2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-2020, 2022) on the Paris clay. The mark puts him four ahead of his nearest challenger in terms of titles at one Grand Slam: Novak Djokovic with 10 Australian Opens.

10 titles or more at four different tournaments
It was not only at Roland Garros where Nadal built an empire. He also stamped his dominance on other stages, where it became habitual to see him claim the trophy year after year. At the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell he won 12 times, leading the tournament to name its centre court after him. At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 event, he won 11 titles, while the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome provided him with 10 crowns. The four tournaments make up for 47 of his total of 92 titles (51%).

Youngest player to win the ‘Golden Slam’
Only a few chosen ones in the history of tennis can boast to having won all four majors (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open), as well as an Olympic gold medal. Nadal topped the Olympic podium in Beijing in 2008, and later joined Andre Agassi as the only players in the men’s game – to complete the career ‘Golden Slam’ by winning the 2010 US Open, at the age of 24 years, 3 months, and 10 days. Novak Djokovic joined the exclusive club in 2024 when he won the Olympics singles gold medal in Paris.

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal beats Fernando Gonzalez to win the men’s singles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2020/08/04/20/51/nadal-flag-beijing-2008.jpg?w=100%25″ />

Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Most titles on clay
When Nadal’s career began, the record for titles on clay was 49. It belonged to a specialist on the surface in Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas. The Manacor native not only broke that record, he did so by a considerable margin, reaching 63. There were 18 years before his first clay crown, in Sopot in 2004, and his last, at Roland Garros in 2022.

10 straight years winning Grand Slams
The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Nadal not only has 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, he also racked them up season after season, allowing him to stay near the very top for so long. Nadal is the only player who managed to win at least one major for 10 consecutive years. Between 2005 and 2014 he won the 2009 Australian Open; the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Roland Garros crown; Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010; and the US Open in 2010 and 2013.

Grand Slam titles on every surface in one year
His ability to compete at the top level on every surface became clear in 2010, when he won a Grand Slam on clay (Roland Garros), grass (Wimbledon) and hard courts (US Open) in the same year. He was the first to do so since Rod Laver in 1969. Years later, in 2021, Novak Djokovic also achieved the feat at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Most wins against a No. 1
Nadal was able to compete toe-to-toe with the best versions of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, respectively, regularly squaring off against them when they were occupying the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings. In fact, the Spaniard holds the record for the most wins against the best player in the world (23), beating Federer 13 times when he was at the top of the rankings and Djokovic 10 times. His first came against Federer at the Miami ATP Masters 1000 in 2004.

<img alt=”Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/28/20/00/djokovic-nadal-rivalry-roland-garros-2022.jpg” />

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Completing the Grand Slam twice
Winning all four majors is a privilege that only eight men have experienced in the history of the game. Nadal, though, has had the pleasure twice over (he has won every Grand Slam at least two times). Rod Laver was the first to achieve the feat, while Djokovic would later repeat it.

Most straight wins on one surface
One of the hottest streaks Nadal ever produced began in the first round at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on 11 April, 2005 against Gael Monfils. It ended in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 in Hamburg on 14 May 2007 against Roger Federer. In that period, the Spaniard won every single match he played on clay, giving him the record for the most consecutive wins on one surface (81).

‘Clay Slam’
In 2010, Nadal became the only player to win all of the clay tournaments at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 level in one season. He strung together titles at the Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo (his sixth title in the Principality), Rome (the fifth) and Madrid (the second). He also put the icing on the cake at the clay Grand Slam event in Paris, with his fifth Roland Garros crown.

Practically invincible on clay over five sets
In total, throughout his career, the Balearic Islander played 535 matches on clay, with a record 484 wins and 51 defeats. That equates to a 90.5 per cent win record on the surface. However, when he competed in best-of-five-set matches, his success rate was close to perfection. He faced 141 such encounters, with a record of 137-4, which is a return rate of 97.1%.

Most titles as a teenager
Nadal started the 2005 season at 18 years of age and ended it at 19. As a teenager, he produced the most prolific season of his career and nobody, so far, has matched him at such a young age. That year he won eleven titles in Costa do Sauipe, Acapulco, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland Garros, Bastad, Stuttgart, Canada, Beijing and Madrid, all added to the title he won in Sopot in 2004. Interestingly, the season included his only ever title on indoor hard courts (Madrid).

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal” style=”100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/11/13/35/nadal-roland-garros-2005-celebration.jpg” />

Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

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Nadal passes baton to Alcaraz: 'We've achieved many things, now it's up to you to continue'

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

“We’ve achieved so many amazing things together, now it’s up to you to continue doing them.”

As he looked at his teammates from the centre of the court, the sincerest words spoken by Rafael Nadal at his farewell ceremony on Tuesday were addressed to the new generation of talent. In particular, one member of that group will be bidding to maintain and extend the legacy the Spaniard leaves behind: Carlos Alcaraz.

At 21 years of age, Alcaraz has equalled many of his childhood hero’s records for precociousness. He has already been the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, won four Grand Slam titles and donned an Olympic silver medal.

“For us young players coming up, who have many years ahead of us, we’ve been lucky to see the era of Rafa, Federer and Djokovic, although [Novak] is still playing… that battle between those three gladiators, players who aren’t from this planet,” said Alcaraz.

“But, at the same time, I’ll also say that [Rafa] has left a lot of people with the hope of seeing what is to come. In a way, if those of us that are here, the young players, those coming up behind him cannot reach that level, it will be seen as frustrating or disappointing for the world of tennis.”

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Alcaraz has always avoided any kind of comparison, but the media and tennis fans alike have inevitably pointed to the parallels between Alcaraz and Nadal.

“I’m going to try not to look at it like that, I’ll simply do my best every day,” he offered. “As Rafa said, he is ending his career happy and satisfied in knowing that he gave his all from the start until the final day of his career, and that’s what I’ll try to do. I’ll try to give my best, to be the best person and player I can every day, at every tournament, every year.”

Alcaraz was there to see Nadal’s final stretch on the ATP Tour, maybe not for as long as he would have liked, but at the 2021 Australian Open he practised with his compatriot for the first time and a few months later he celebrated his 18th birthday with his first match against Nadal at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Their Lexus ATP Head2Head includes a total of three matches, all in ATP Masters 1000s; in Madrid (2021, 2022) and Indian Wells (2022). But perhaps their most special memory together will be when they shared the same side of the court, representing Spain in doubles at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

“I’m lucky to be close to him, to have played doubles with him, to have practised with him, to have shared a Davis Cup team with him and the locker room in singles tournaments – not as much as I would have liked – I wish I’d arrived on tour earlier,” Alcaraz said.

But destiny has no respect for ones desires, and so it was that on the night of Tuesday 19 November Nadal definitively relinquished his crown and Alcaraz took the baton, but not without a caveat.

“We’ll see at the end of my career, but if it’s half of what he’s done I’ll be more than happy,” Alcaraz said. “’m going to try and entertain people and leave a good legacy every day. It’s going to be very tough to follow what these giants have done.”

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The great rivalries that defined Nadal’s career

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

So much can happen during the lifetime of an elite. After a career spanning over 20 years, Rafael Nadal has decided to bring his time as a professional tennis player to an end. In doing so, he closes the door on the great rivalries that have shaped his life on the ATP Tour.

To mark the retirement of the Spanish superstar, ATPTour.com takes a look back at some of his biggest rivalries.

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Nadal vs. Roger Federer: 24-16 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
Not only is it one of the biggest rivalries in the history of tennis, Nadal against Federer is one of the biggest rivalries in the history of sport; two foes who pushed each other to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Their diametrically contrasting styles generated a series of encounters that elevated tennis to previously unseen heights. The Spaniard and the Swiss won the hearts of fans in every corner of the planet every time they took court for another clash.

It all started in 2004, when a baby-faced 17-year-old Nadal upset Federer, the then-No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, with a resounding 6-3, 6-3 victory to reach the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. The Swiss, who had already won two Grand Slam titles, was caught off-guard by what he faced on the other side of the net: a fearless, energetic, and powerful opponent who barely batted an eyelid as he brushed him aside.

Federer earned his revenge a year later on the same stage by beating Nadal in the 2005 Miami final, in an intense five-set clash (coming back from two sets down in what was the first classic encounter between the two legends). However, the Spaniard struck back by winning five matches on the trot to earn himself a 6-1 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

That run included a Roland Garros semi-final and final (across 2005 and 2006), and three finals in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Rome, respectively, all of which went to the Spaniard. The latter, at the Foro Itálico, was one of the most thrilling battles between the pair: after more than five hours on court, Nadal celebrated victory having saved two match points. Federer was powerless as he watched the trophy slip from his grasp.

The Swiss would slow his rival’s momentum with a win in their first Wimbledon final (2006), and once again that year in the semis of the Nitto ATP Finals, eating into Nadal’s lead (3-6) and making a mental recovery from the pain inflicted on him during his five straight defeats to the Spaniard. It would be a close-run thing in 2007 (two wins to Nadal, three for Federer, including his first on clay in the Hamburg final), before the lefty from Mallorca took a clean sweep in a historic 2008 season.

That year, Nadal and Federer crossed paths four times. All four ended with the Spaniard lifting his arms to the sky in celebration. Nadal also won Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back. The latter was an assault on Federer’s favourite stomping ground, which he had, to that point, defended so vehemently from the Mallorcan (2-0, winner of the 2006 and 2007 finals).

That match, the 2008 Wimbledon final, is considered by many as one of the best in the history of tennis. Nadal took the first two sets before Federer levelled a tie that would be decided in a nail-biting 9-7 fifth set, with barely any light left at the All England Tennis Club, just when it looked like they would be unable to finish until the next day.

<img alt=”Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/11/13/51/federer-nadal-wimbledon-2008-trophy.jpg” />

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The fact that Nadal kick-started 2009 by beating the Swiss at the Australian Open surely had something to do with what had happened at Wimbledon six months earlier. After Melbourne, where the Spaniard claimed an electrifying final that also went to a fifth set, the Lexus ATP Head2Head tally between the pair stood at 13-6 to the Balearic Islander.

Nadal would string together another five victories between 2013 and 2014 before Federer claimed six of his own (2015 to 2019), coinciding with the period when the Spaniard was returning from a significant right-knee injury.

These would prove to be the last encounters in a rivalry whose final two matches came in 2019, both at Grand Slams: Nadal beat Federer in the semi-finals at Roland Garros, and the Swiss returned the favour in the same round at Wimbledon.

Of the 40 matches between the two players, 20 were on hard courts (11-9 to Federer) 16 on clay (14-2 to Nadal), and four on grass (3-1 to the Swiss). In Grand Slams, the Spaniard led the Swiss 10-4.

Apart from the numbers, which provide context for the rivalry, they have left something more intangible in their wake; the special aura of two players who defined an era as they went head-to-head on the biggest stages on the planet.

Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic: 29-31 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
No two players have faced each other on more occasions than Nadal and Djokovic (who played 60 tour-level matches in total), a fact that tells all you need to know about the significance of the rivalry between the Spaniard and the Serb. Two of the best players of all time, they kept up their personal tussle for almost two decades.

The pair first squared off in 2006, in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros, where Nadal took the spoils after the retirement of the Serbian in the third set. Although their first final together came just one year later (2007 Indian Wells), with victory going to the Spaniard, it was some time until their first meeting in a Grand Slam decider: in 2010, at the US Open. Nadal emerged victorious in their first clash for a major title.

During those years, Nadal notched a significant lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series (15-7), although Djokovic did win three consecutive matches in 2009 (in Cincinnati, Paris, and at the Nitto ATP Finals, respectively). As he gained experience, the Serbian improved at an astonishing rate and his tug-of-war with Nadal appeared to help him push towards his best tennis.

After losing that 2010 US Open final to the Spaniard and also their group-stage clash at the Nitto ATP Finals, Djokovic suddenly upped his game in a way that none could have predicted. The Serbian beat the Manacor native in seven straight finals across 2011 and 2012: Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Wimbledon, US Open, and the Australian Open, defeating him on hard court, clay, and grass.

That memorable match in Melbourne, which lasted five hours and 53 minutes, is the longest final in Grand Slam history. Although Djokovic took the title, in some way, Nadal had managed to change the dynamic in their rivalry, forcing the Serbian to play his absolute best to come through the encounter with the trophy in his hands.

<img alt=”Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal, Australian Open 2012″ style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/longform/djokovic21/desktop/djokovic-australian-open-2012.jpg” />

Photo Credit: PAUL CROCK/AFP via Getty Images

Nadal almost immediately reaped the rewards for his performance Down Under. The Spaniard won his next three ties with Djokovic (Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros), ending his nemesis’ confidence-boosting seven-win streak.

In the years that followed, their rivalry would be more matched, with both players claiming their fair share of wins (Nadal beat Djokovic in the 2013 US Open final and the 2014 Roland Garros final, while the Serbian came out on top in Beijing and at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2013, as well as in Miami and Rome in 2014).

Djokovic again exerted a period of dominance over Nadal by winning another seven consecutive matches across 2015 and 2016 in Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros (his first win over Nadal at the clay-court major), Beijing, the Nitto ATP Finals, Doha, Indian Wells and Rome, before Nadal finally brought the run to an end in 2017 in Madrid with a superb semi-final victory.

In 2018, the pair put on a tremendous show in their Wimbledon semi-final clash, which was delayed due to poor light on Friday and continued on Saturday, when Djokovic sealed a 10-8 fifth-set win. Both players produced some jaw-dropping tennis, much to the delight of the fans.

Between 2019 and 2021, the two legends only crossed paths in finals, with Djokovic winning at the Australian Open (2019) and the ATP Cup (2020). Nadal took the bragging rights in Rome (2019), at Roland Garros (2020), and again in Rome (2021).

Fate would have it that the last three encounters of their rivalry came at Roland Garros: Djokovic won in the 2021 semi-finals, Nadal prevailed in the 2022 quarter-finals and the Serbian ended their long history with a second-round victory at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Nadal vs. Andy Murray: 17-7 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
To his enormous credit, Murray managed to make room for himself next to the so-called Big Three of tennis (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer). The Briton gave Nadal plenty to think about over their 24 Lexus ATP Head2Head encounters.

Nadal dominated their earliest clashes, winning the first five matches (from the 2007 Australian Open to the 2008 semi-final in Canada). In a clear demonstration of his authority, the Spaniard raced away from the Briton, laying the foundations for their rivalry with victories on hard court, clay, and grass.

Murray finally got his first win in the semi-finals of the 2008 US Open. It was a triumph that helped him win again in the 2009 final in Rotterdam, where Nadal could see that Murray had learned from his previous defeats and was now ready to respond. Nadal would have to work much harder in the future to defeat his rival.

<img alt=”Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/17/19/17/nadal-murray-retire-2024.jpg” />

Photo Credit: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Although they never crossed paths in a Grand Slam final, Nadal and Murray played again at the Australian Open (2010 quarter-finals, win to Murray), Roland Garros (2011 and 2014 semi-finals, wins for Nadal), Wimbledon (2010 and 2011 semi-finals, Nadal), and the US Open (2011 semi-finals, Nadal).

Curiously, Murray managed to see off Nadal twice in the Spaniard’s homeland, in the 2015 final and the 2016 semi-final in Madrid. The latter was the last time they would find each other on opposite sides of the net.

The 24 matches they contested break down as follows: 4-4 on hard courts, with Nadal leading on clay (7-2) and on grass (3-0). Nadal finished with a 7-2 lead against Murray in Grand Slam encounters.

Nadal vs. Others
Besides Federer, Djokovic, and Murray, undoubtedly the most important opponents of Nadal’s dazzling career, there are plenty of other players the Spaniard had frequent clashes with, creating more great rivalries during his two decades on the Tour.

David Ferrer (26-6 to Nadal)
Nadal and Ferrer contested eight finals (all won by Nadal), including the Roland Garros title match in 2014. These were some of the standout moments in an all-Spanish rivalry in which Ferrer took first blood (in Stuttgart 2004), and where the Alicante native also sunk Nadal at the US Open (2007) and at the Nitto ATP Finals (2007).

Stan Wawrinka (19-3 to Nadal)
Nadal flew out of the blocks in his series of encounters with Wawrinka, winning his first 12 clashes against the Swiss. However, Wawrinka would have his revenge, defeating Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final, although the Spaniard was playing after hurting his back in the warm up. They met again in another major final, with Nadal prevailing at Roland Garros in 2017.

Juan Martin del Potro (11-6 to Nadal)
Four early triumphs for Nadal were followed by three for Del Potro, laying the foundations for a spectacular rivalry between two passionate players who loved to entertain the fans. The Spaniard won the only final they contested (2013 Indian Wells), while the Argentine claimed some huge victories of his own: in the semi-finals of the 2009 US Open, the semi-finals of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and the semi-finals of the 2018 US Open.

Dominic Thiem (10-6 to Nadal)
Two Roland Garros finals claimed by Nadal marked the pinnacle his rivalry with Thiem, which took on particular significance on clay courts. However, it also provided some spectacular episodes elsewhere, such as in the quarter-finals of the 2018 US Open (where Nadal won in a fifth-set tie-break) and the quarter-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, won by Thiem.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

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How Nadal used the Challenger Tour as a springboard to stardom

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Regardless of potential and promise, all tennis players first work through the ATP Challenger Tour to begin their climb to the upper echelons of the sport. Rafael Nadal was no exception.

In 2003, Nadal — then 16 years old — sported a baggy t-shirt with sleeves draped to his elbows as he captured his maiden Challenger title in Barletta, Italy. That afternoon on the Adriatic coast featured the biggest career title run for the Spanish teenager at the time. Now it is remembered as a pivotal moment in his rise to greatness.

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Nadal was already accustomed to milestones. Just two years earlier, the teen showcased his scintillating forehand and unmatched court coverage to become the third-youngest player to notch a Challenger match win.

As the No. 152 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the lefty lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour title, defeating countryman Albert Portas 6-2, 7-6(2) in the Barletta final. Fittingly, Nadal’s first Challenger crown came on clay, the surface on which he claimed a record 63 tour-level titles.

<img alt=”Albert Portas and Rafael Nadal at the Barletta Challenger, 2003.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/19/23/34/nadal-barlettach-2003.jpg” />
Albert Portas and Rafael Nadal at the Barletta Challenger, 2003. Credit: Barletta Challenger

The Spaniard belongs to an exclusive club of seven players who have lifted a Challenger trophy at the age of 16 and under. This is what the ATP Challenger Tour prides itself in: Being a building block for young players testing their game against the world’s best.

And little did the fans in Barletta know that the teenager in front of their eyes would someday become just that — one of the world’s best.

Nadal competed in only three more Challenger tournaments, highlighted by his triumph on home soil in Segovia in July 2003. Only two men have captured multiple Challenger titles at a younger age than Nadal: Richard Gasquet (2003) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (2017).

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal wins the 2003 Segovia Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/19/23/33/nadal-segoviach-2003-trophy.jpg” />
Rafael Nadal wins the 2003 Segovia Challenger. Credit: Open Castilla y Leon

Nadal’s Segovia triumph came with an additional milestone. He secured his place in the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. The 92-time tour-level titlist eventually spent 209 weeks as World No. 1 throughout his illustrious career.

It has been more than two decades since Nadal competed on the ATP Challenger Tour, but the 38-year-old has not been absent from that level. The very platform that helped launch Nadal’s journey has routinely made a stop at The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar since 2018.

The state-of-the-art facility hosts a hard-court Challenger tournament during the first week of the US Open and provides the next crop of young players with the same opportunities that Nadal once seized. It is one way Nadal continues to give back to the sport, ensuring the ATP Challenger Tour remains a critical platform for developing talent.

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal attends the Manacor Challenger on Saturday.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/02/16/41/nadal-mallorcach-2024.jpg” />
Rafael Nadal at the Manacor Challenger in September. Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar

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‘No excuses just play the sport’: Serena, Beckham among those to salute Nadal on social media

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Following Rafael Nadal’s final match on Tuesday at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, a host of tennis legends, including Rod Laver, Serena Williams and Roger Federer, paid tribute to the Spanish great on social media.

There was also a considerable outpouring of praise from well-known figures from outside tennis. Messages such as one from former football superstar David Beckham are a reflection of the way Nadal has transcended sport.

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